Category Archives: Australia

A homophobic psychologist and candidate seeking election in New South Wales, Australia has demanded gay sex to be outlawed and for the right to discriminate against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender citizens.

Philip Pocock, who claims to be a psychologist, is standing as an independent representative in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, uploaded a video in 2008 defending the Pope’s anti-gay doctrine. In the YouTube rant he argues that homosexuality resembled a threat to humanity as great as climate change claiming the Pope was “correct, even from a scientific view”.

“The first step to dealing with the problem is to accept that despite genetically different levels of masculinity that are often visually evident, no one is a homosexual unless they practice homosexual acts, in the same way that no one is a bank robber unless they rob a bank” Pocock prattles on in the video.

The future politician criticises Australia’s political establishment for paying “lip service” to social conservatives, Mr Pocock refers to gay people as “perverts”. He also wants to see “rules” against sex before marriage, infidelity and divorce. According to local reports, he recently told the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn that most politicians are either inadequate to enforce “legitimate sexual expression” or they are addicted to “distortions of sexuality.” He also declared that “a true ‘union’ only occurs in heterosexual vaginal intercourse and homosexual unions not only deserve no special rights but must be seen as the destructive behaviours that should be actively discouraged.”

However, one supposes we could be quite lucky, for Pocock stops one step short of provoking and promoting physical violence saying that nobody had the right to engage in “poofter bashing”.

Sadly Pocock’s views are not isolated, there is an increasing atmosphere of homophobia and discrimination reported since the bill for marriage equality failed to get enough support early in September.

Most religious organisations in New Zealand have declared that they will not perform same-sex marriages even if the bill currently before the parliament for marriage equality passes.

Unsurprisingly the Catholic Church instigated the aggressive stand against gay people and together with Anglican, Baptist, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and orthodox Jewish religious groups and churches have all indicated their opposition to equality.

Anwar Ghani, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, told local New Zealand media that same-sex marriage was unacceptable under Muslim law. ‘Our position is very clear – Islam does not allow marriages of same sex. Islam views marriage not just for recreation, but for procreation,’ he told New Zealand media, Stuff.

“Too gay for Helensville” that’s a claim being laid at the door of the Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key. Apparently the claim is contained within a pamphlet and letter that has been sent out by the homophobic Conservative party leader, Colin Craig who stands in opposition to Mr Key.

The pamphlet has been sent to 20,000 homes and businesses by the Conservative party and says that people are disgruntled about John Key’s vote in favour of an equal marriage bill which is currently being debated in the New Zealand parliament.

With the pamphlet was a in which Colin Craig, said that residents of Helensville were annoyed and disgusted. It also was contained a message reportedly from a resident in Helensville saying: “Colin, you should stand [for Prime Minister] here because John Key is too gay for Helensville.”

PM John Key seemed undeterred and unworried by the stance from Colin Craig, saying: ”I wish him the best but I have got the largest majority in the country so I hope I can continue to enjoy the support of the good people of Helensville in 2014.” Adding that he‘d had very little opposition to his position in favour of marriage equality ”To the best of my knowledge, there’s probably been about three phone calls to my electoral office.”

Homophobe Craig also released a statement after a media furore erupted , saying, “I was in the town a few weeks ago and was surprised at how many people were annoyed that he is not listening to them. There are people out there who simply don’t like to see their prime minister doing things like dancing on stage with transvestites, as he has done in the past”

The Conservative party was founded in 2011, Craig, who polled third in the local Mayoral election in 2010, ran in the election the same year but the party failed to gain any seats.

The New Zealand Marriage Amendment Bill, which would legalise equal marriage, was discussed in parliament last Wednesday and passed its first reading with a majority of 80 to 40 in support of the change.

Winston Peters, the leader of New Zealand’s minority political party NZ First, says he wont support equal marriage in New Zealand! He is also forcing the eight NZ First MP’s to abstain from a crucial vote on the issue.

Winston Peters told reporters this week that NZ First are arguing instead for a referendum on the issue after announcing the party’s eight MPs will abstain from voting when the current bill on the gay marriage comes before the New Zealand parliament.

“We believe there should be enough members of parliament who have got confidence in the public of this country to trust the public to decide this issue after reasonable debate.” he said.

Hot news from down under regarding Gay marriage, apparently it’s as little as 10 steps away! That’s all the senators they need to convert to have a real chance of getting same sex marriage passed into law.

Earlier this week the Australian Marriage Equality group have reported today that only ten more votes are needed pass same-sex marriage through the Australian senate. This remarkable and welcome news was issued in a statement from the advocacy group who now call on all Australians to contact those undecided senators and urge them to support the legislation which would allow equal marriage the chance of being passed.

The AME say that 20 out of the 76 senators in the house are against same-sex marriage whilst another 27 are still yet undecided or have not declared their views on the matter.

Australian Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull has attacked anti-gay campaigners as “dripping with the worst sort of hypocrisy”.

Frontbencher Mr Turnbull, who was delivering a lecture on the Gold Coast, attacked the coalition for its unwillingness to legalise marriage for gay couples, The Age reports.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has refused to allow MPs a conscience vote on the issues.

Mr Turnbull said: “Let us be honest with each other. The threat to marriage is not the gays. It is a lack of loving commitment – whether it is found in the form of neglect, indifference, cruelty or adultery, to name just a few manifestations of the loveless desert in which too many marriages come to grief.”

He added that MPs would have to resign in order to cross the floor: “Because the leadership are not permitting a free vote, shadow cabinet ministers are bound to vote in accordance with the collective decision”.

Mr Turnbull continued: “Do the bishops seriously imagine that legalising gay marriage will result in thousands of parties to heterosexual marriages suddenly deciding to get divorced so they can marry a person of the same sex?

“Are not the gays who seek the right to marry, to formalise their commitment to each other, holding up a mirror to heterosexuals who are marrying less frequently and divorcing more often?”

He concluded that while there was probably not enough Liberal support to pass gay marriage, “we should not miss the opportunity to legislate for civil unions for same-sex couples in this Parliament”. Reports Pink News

The Australian Salvation Army has apologised after a senior official said that gay people should be put to death. Major Andrew Craibe was asked by an Australian LGBT radio station if the organisation believed LGBT people should die.

Shock news from Australia’s tropical northern state of Queensland. The Health minister says ‘I refuse to throw good money after bad’ after cutting funding to the the last and only LGBT health agency in the wonderful state.

The homophobic and prejudiced LNP conservative government is cutting its funding sending the future of HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and health care into a downward spiral of destruction and disaster.

Health minister Lawrence Springborg said the cut in funds was in response to an increase in HIV prevalence in the state and what he said was a failure in public health policy. ‘I refuse to throw good money after bad and I refuse to turn a blind eye to what are obviously ineffective campaigns at reducing HIV diagnosis rates,’ Springborg said,reported in the Courier Mail.

There are many voices striving to be heard in the public space on same-sex marriage. In broad terms, those against argue from the principle that marriage has always been about one man and one woman and their children. Those in favour maintain that the meaning of marriage is malleable and that the current policy as defined in the Marriage Act is unfair and discriminatory.

However, a recent poll of more than 1200 adults conducted for the Ambrose Centre for Religious Liberty reveals in some depth what ordinary Australians really think about this issue. One of its major findings is that same-sex marriage is a divisive issue, and Australians do not want to rush into making such a significant change without knowing its social impact, reports the SMH.